Chai spiced roast almond butter

Winter seemed like the perfect time to warm up one of my favourite condiments, and thus was born this Chai spiced roast almond butter. Drizzle it over crisp apple slices, slather it on sourdough fruit toast or turn it into a homemade almond butter latte (or maybe just eat it off the spoon?)- whatever your preference, it comes highly recommend my end.

Almond butter has always been my favourite nut butter but, sadly, it is far more expensive that the ever popular peanut butter and thus we rarely buy it. Making homemade roast almond butter is not just much cheaper its actually very easy. All you need is nuts and, in my opinion, salt (as well as a high-speed processor if you want to create the drippy, smooth roast almond butter that we all dream about) to make the ultimate almond butter, and then of course you can fancy it up like we have today with this Chai spiced roast almond butter.

Activating your almonds

You can totally skip this step and you’ll still have the creamiest most delicious almond butter. I always buy my nuts in bulk and around once a month I activate my nuts and seeds then dehydrator them for storage. When it comes time to making this Chai spiced roast almond butter I use nuts that have already been activated, and thus I am making an activated Chai spiced roast almond butter.

Why?

Activating our nuts, seeds, grains and legumes is a traditional method of food preparation that removes anti nutrients (phytic acid) in these foods and increases mineral bioavailability. I would say that the higher your diet is in these foods the more necessary it is to learn about activating. You can check out this blog post here for a bit more information.

The basic ingredients you will need to make this chai spiced roast almond butter

This recipe is really very simple. All you will need is:

• Whole almonds. I activate mine first, but you don’t need to.
• Salt. I use an Australian salt, and you should use a local one if you can. Don’t omit salt: a good quality salt is a fantastic source of minerals and really makes the flavours shine. I like this one. 
• Ground cinnamon 
• Ground cardamom– this is optional, and could be substituted for all spice. Ground cardamom can be found at Indian grocers and it is so delicious!
• Nutmeg– I use nutmeg in the whole form and finely grate it. Whole nutmeg has much more flavour than ground nutmeg, but you can use either form.
• Ground ginger
• Coconut sugar– While this can be made without any sugar at all, it is recommended. Use between 1-3 Tbsp to really help balance out the flavours and create a irrefutable roasted almond butter. I don’t recommend using a liquid sweetener like maple syrup, and it will cause the nut butter to seize up. I tried the the recipe without any sugar at all and felt it was a bit flat, but you can omit it all together.
• A high speed food processor. A food processor is much easier to use than a blender for this recipe, however you can use a blender (you will need to use your tamper though).

Serving suggestions

If you’re wanting more than just eating off the spoon, here are a few ways I enjoy the Chai spiced roast almond butter;

• Served alongside cut up fruit- our personal favourite is with crisp Winter aples
• Blended not warm milk for a hot homemade chai spiced almond latte
• On top of homemade pancakes
• Served or crackers with cheese
• Turn these blondies into chai spiced ones 
• On top of granola or porridge
• Blended into a smoothie like the one 

Frequently asked questions.

Wont roasting the nuts destroy the enmeshed present in activated nuts?

Yes. Sadly this is true. In this case using activated nuts is more about improving the nutritional value of the almonds. While you can make a raw chai spiced roast almond butter it isn’t my preference. I find raw nut butters and not as flavoursome. Further, resting nuts removes any potential mould that often grows on raw nuts and it recommended.

How long will it keep for?

You can store the chai spiced roast almond butter in the pantry for up 2 months or the fridge for around 6 months. I feel certain you will devour it before then though!

Why isn’t my nut butter drippy like yours?

This will be due to a number of things.

1. You didn’t roast your nuts. f you did not roast your almonds you will not get a drippy nut butter. Roasting helps to release the oils and create that pourable, smooth consistency.
2. You have not blended it for long enough. In a high-speed blender I recommend blending for 10 minutes. If you do less time than this you won’t get the drippy, runny nut butter as pictured. If you have a food processor that is not high powered it may take 20 minutes. Unfortunately some food processors won’t be powerful enough to create a runny chai spiced roast almond butter.
3. You added a water based ingredient like maple syrup. Any water in the recipe will make this recipe stiffer.

Here are some other delicious nut recipes you might like to try:

• Super seed chocolate bliss balls with Reishi
• Easy fermented cashew cheese
• Healthy vegan almond butter blondies with blueberry and chocolate
• Healthy vegan peanut butter fudge
• Creamy roasted almond butter with activated option
• Healthy grain free granola

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as we did. This chai spiced roast almond butter makes the perfect homemade gift, too! As always, we love to hear any feedback you might have and welcome reviews, comments or questions below.

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